Thrice Bound
by horrorinabasket
Summary: In death comes rebirth and the cycle begins anew again. Hagoromo knows not to interfere with the fate of his sons, he simply makes a slight adjustment. After all, the circle should be completed by now. Naruto and Sasuke have a distinct awareness about the chakra and people within them because of this. Of course, it may not be a better change. Future NaruSasuNaru. Reincarnation fic


**Thrice Bound **

_**Locked**_

In complete honesty, Naruto had never regarded Uchiha Sasuke with anything more than the speculative interest he gave towards any of the other children with families. Yes, Sasuke was kinder than most of the other children. On occasion, when Sasuke noticed Naruto without a lunch, he would come over and sit with Naruto beneath the shade of a tree; pushing his remaining bento over with nimble fingers. When Naruto finished, leaving behind only the vegetables, Sasuke would once more push it closer to him and continue on relentlessly. Until, after several moments of feigned disinterest, would Naruto yield and finish the food.

It was an easy habit. Never during these encounters was a single word spoken, and rarely did they speak to one another in class. In fact, they had never even been paired together by any sensei. Sasuke was almost always paired with Hyūga Hinata, and Naruto with a different clanless, nameless student. Who, upon the next school day, would request to be paired with anyone but Naruto. It stung the first time it happened, but after that Naruto refused to let it bother him.

Ultimately, Naruto considered Sasuke to be one of the more pleasant variables at the Academy and life in general. Which was why when Naruto caught sight of Sasuke fleeing the hospital, towards the far end of the village, Naruto only hesitated for a moment before quickly darting after him. When Sasuke finished running, he was spluttering and out of breath. Naruto, who was used to sprinting for long periods of times, hid behind a nearby wall to better examine his surroundings.

They were at the Uchiha District. Naruto winced, distantly remembering the whispered rumours. Naruto rarely listened to the murmuring voices around him, as most of it was in fact about him and his hidden monstrosity. Whatever that was supposed to mean. For the past three days, however, the villagers muttered to one another about something else entirely, about a different sort of monstrosity. Naruto watched as Sasuke stood up; glaring at the yellow tape that blocked off the entrance to his home.

With a surprising amount of grace, Sasuke brazenly climbed over the restrictive tape. After considering it for only a brief moment, Naruto followed him. He was far more clumsy trying to manoeuvre his small body through the limited space the tape allowed. Thankfully, when he managed it, Sasuke was still within eyesight.

The Uchiha District was surprisingly cold. It felt unmistakeably barren. Well, that was what the district was now. Before, Naruto could almost always see the shadowy forms of ninja darting in and out of the district. During the festivals he could hear the laughter, see the bobbling of dark heads and the gleam of red eyes. There had been a distinct aroma, as well, that was exclusive only to this particular branch of the village. Now there was nothing. Nothing, except for Sasuke's small form in the distance that looked dwarfed by the weight of this dead district.

Naruto followed him, feeling more unsure than he ever had before in his life. Sasuke entered the largest house, leaving the door open behind him. There were many homes in the Uchiha district, all of them far closer together than those in the village. This one in particular must have belonged to Sasuke and his family. Naruto hesitated before entering and surprisingly enough bent down to remove his shoes. Everything seemed so clean, so orderly, it seemed to be the polite way, as well as the only way to respond.

As Naruto stepped further into the house, he could hear distant sobbing. It was a wretched sound, one Naruto immediately hated to hear. For a moment he considered bolting, since nobody knew he had followed Sasuke in the first place. Even with that lack of knowledge, that would still be how a coward would respond. With that thought in mind, Naruto followed the sound of sobbing, and it brought him to a room at the far back of the house. The screen of the door was ripped open, and through it Naruto could see Sasuke, a crying heap on the floor. He was curled in on himself so tightly that almost none of his pale skin was showing. Instead, he resembled a circular ball of darkness.

At that moment, Naruto did not have to think. He simply did what he wished anyone would do when he was in a similar position. Naruto got down onto the floor and curled his body around Sasuke's. They were approximately the same height and weight, so it was reasonably comfortable to do. They fit together like a puzzle, after having urgently searched for the correctly suitable piece. Sasuke stiffened at the first touch, but when he rolled over and caught sight of Naruto, his body relaxed even as his eyes went wide.

There was the sound of muffled sniffles for a moment, before Sasuke burrowed himself in Naruto's ratty t-shirt. Naruto thought the crying would start up again, feeling Sasuke's wet face press against his neck, when suddenly there was a flash of blinding white hot pain. Naruto bit down onto Sasuke's shoulder to smoulder his scream of agony, and felt Sasuke's breathless sobbing turn into harsh pants as a similar torment seemed to overtake his trembling body.

When their eyes connected for a brief moment, Naruto thought Sasuke's normally dark grey eyes looked purple in the reflection of the light. Sasuke's eyes went even wider, before he went slack in Naruto's arms, eyes fluttering closed. Naruto only had a brief moment to ponder the utter strangeness of the situation that resulted from Naruto's brief desire to be nice, until unconsciousness overtook those thoughts. In several ways it was a relief.

An irritatingly bright glow caused Naruto to immediately close his eyes once he opened them. His head was pounding, and Naruto rolled over, his body jerking with forceful coughs. After several moments, Naruto pushed himself dizzily to his feet, swaying with the motions. He blinked blearily several times and stared around in a daze, wondering where he was. It was difficult to make sense of anything. Whatever it was felt like a room, but Naruto also had a feeling of being suspended in midair, not capable of movement, but being held securely by some invisible force.

"Certainly took you long enough," a high pitched voice said.

Naruto looked up to see two other children walking towards him. The one on the left was familiar, with short and tidy straight brown hair along with dark brown eyes. His face, although older, was carved on stone in the village as a hero, a founder of Konoha, their first Hokage. It was undeniably Senju Hashirama, although decade younger, staring at him from beneath long eyelashes.

Hashirama was not the one who spoke, however. That was the boy on his right. This one was unfamiliar to Naruto. He had short, partially spiky hair at the top, but straight going down. There were bandages around his forehead, and on collections of hair either side of his head, in front of his ears. His dark grey eyes surveyed Naruto with a distinct coolness. There was a definite familiarity to him that reminded Naruto of Sasuke. Both of the boys scrutinized Naruto, and then looked towards each other in askance.

"Not how I pictured him," the unfamiliar boy said, "I imagined something less... bright," the final word curled around his tongue, a clear expression of perplexity.

Naruto felt offended. "What the hell," he yelled, determined to be as loud as possible. The strangely young Hashirama winced. "Who the hell are you, anyway? Where's Sasuke?" Naruto looked around wildly for the other boy.

"Sasuke is likely meeting with Indra and Madara," the unknown boy said, waving a careless hand. "I wouldn't fret over it."

Naruto gave him a furious look, resolute to scream himself hoarse at this boy. Regretfully, Hashirama interfered before Naruto could open his mouth. Perhaps he sensed the resounding fight about to occur. Many teachers Naruto knew seemed to have that instinct.

"Naruto-kun," Hashirama said, and stepped closer. Naruto resisted the urge to step away from the other boy, who moved more like an adult than a child. "My name is Senju Hashirama, do you know who I am?"

Naruto nodded. If there was one thing Naruto bothered to remember from lessons, it was the name of each Hokage and when they served. Sometimes, along with some more unnecessary information.

"The Shodaime and Founder of Konoha," he said softly. "Only smaller," he pointed out, making a strange, aborted gesture with his hands to help explain his point. Hashirama nodded, giving Naruto a composed smile.

"What about the boy beside me, do you recognize him?" Hashirama asked. Naruto twisted nervously, but this did not feel like a test. There were no narrowed eyes on him, filled with cruel mockery, knowing Naruto was unable to answer the question.

Besides, these creepy children kidnapped him and likely Sasuke, as well. So, it didn't matter if Naruto was unable to answer any weird questions. Naruto shook his head after a moment of curious thought. The darker haired child looked rather offended, but not incredibly shocked.

"Ōtsutsuki Asura," the boy introduced himself, accompanied by a shallow, but dramatic bow. Naruto stared at Asura hesitantly for several moments.

"I still don't know who you are," Naruto admitted. Asura twitched a little, looking more vexed than he had previously.

"Asura dates back before the founding of Konohagakure," Hashirama intervened. "During the Warring of the Clans era."

That was not really something they had discussed intensely in class, so Naruto could not be blamed for having a lack of information about it. To be honest, it did sound rather interesting. That was how Naruto knew they couldn't of had a lesson about it because he would have remembered some glimmer of what happened. Nothing was sparking his memory, however, so it couldn't of happened.

"Oh," Naruto muttered, "so you're really old, and you've disguised yourselves as children?" he guessed haphazardly. That was the only thing he could really understand.

Hashirama laughed. "Not exactly, Naruto-kun," he turned towards Asura. "I believe you can explain this better than I," he said.

Asura fidgeted a bit, before nodding in acceptance. "I am dead, as is Hashirama," he started off bluntly. Naruto stared at him in confusion, dubious of where this was leading, before he nodded in acknowledgement.

"At our deaths my brother and I guaranteed that our chakra would be reincarnated through time, at certain opportunities to further accomplish our goals and eventually complete our mission. The first conceivable reincarnations were Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara," Asura explained.

"We failed," Hashirama interjected softly, a curious look passing over his face. Naruto didn't know how he was meant to respond to that, and thankfully didn't have to.

"Hardly," Asura said, snorting. "You created Konohagakure. That became the first step. The first success. We did not realize it would be so difficult. Our hubris, our folly," he said, making it sound like a mantra.

Naruto understood broadly what Asura was trying to explain, even if he was bemused by what words like hubris and folly meant. While Naruto usually had no problem screaming to call attention to himself, there was something unique in the tones of the two boys in front of him that Naruto felt uncomfortable interrupting. It was an unusual feeling, but Naruto decided to obey it.

"There had been several other attempts. Then with you and Sasuke something was altered. I cannot fully explain what happened since it was my father who modified the chakra manipulation," here Asura scowled.

"I'm not fully sure what it was. My father was not meant to meddle. Now Hashirama and I can communicate with you, as Indra and Madara can with Sasuke. It is likely we will all be able to use some form of telekinesis with one another," Asura finished off.

"Why is that a bad thing?" Naruto finally asked, noticing the careful measuring looks he was being given. It seemed like they were waiting for him to speak. "Now you can complete your mission."

Missions were important, that was another thing Naruto learned at the Academy. Nothing was more important than the successful completion of a mission.

Asura scowled. "It is no longer my mission," he said carelessly. "It belongs to you and Uchiha Sasuke."

Naruto froze. He hadn't even graduated from the Academy yet. A large part of him, one he usually kept quiet, doubted his ability to even graduate. Not with the way his education was progressing. That he and Sasuke had some huge mission to complete, one that transcended even time, shook him to his core. This was a feeling of uncertainty that Naruto hadn't felt since he was incredibly young. It was something he told himself he would never feel again.

That was why in response, Naruto laughed.

"Sure! I'm the best ninja there ever was, just tell me what I've gotta do and you'll see it done. Are you sure I even need Sasuke?" he said, and laughed. It was a crazy laugh, loud and booming and made his throat ache with an angry rawness.

Naruto continued laughing until a gentle hand landed on his shoulder. Hashirama had come closer to him, Asura a few feet behind him. With halted breath, Naruto stopped laughing to stare at him in puzzlement. Hashirama had such a young body, not even looking a day older than Naruto. His eyes, however, looked so much older.

"You do not need to do this alone, Uzumaki Naruto. You were chosen, as was Uchiha Sasuke, for a reason. You are not looking at the successes of this mission, but the failures. I am uncertain of how exactly I can help you. I will try to prepare you, and Sasuke-kun, but you will have to come to your own conclusions," Hashirama said.

Naruto stared at him. There was a sting behind his eyes that singled the onslaught of tears. Quickly, Naruto held his breath to hold them back. He refused to cry, especially in front of the Shodaime, despite how afraid he was. The idea of a grand mission sounded perfect in daydreams, but in reality Naruto wanted nothing more than to desperately decline.

Most of the villagers despised him, Naruto had exactly zero friends and couldn't even explain the origins of his family. This wasn't fair, Naruto wanted to scream. Something stilled his tongue before he could form the words. It was shameful to decline a mission, something only a coward would do. Naruto didn't know much about himself, but he refused to be a coward. Instead of protesting, Naruto breathed in deeply and nodded in acceptance.

"Alright," Naruto said, and was glad his voice kept steady. "I accept. I'll even work with Sasuke."

Not even that was as bad as Naruto was making it sound. There were so many people worse than Sasuke, he was really the best Naruto could have asked for.

Hashirama smiled at him. It was a pleasant smile, and Naruto hesitantly grinned back. Even Asura looked pleased from behind him, his sullen frown fading into the beginnings of an impish smirk.

"The others are finished, as well," Asura said, closing his eyes. "I'll call them to us."

Naruto was confused by what he meant for only a mere moment. Still, before he had a chance to fully comprehend what was going on, the room was blinded by white light once more. When Naruto opened his eyes, blinking rapidly, three incredibly similar people had joined them in this eerily spaceless room.

Sasuke was recognizable immediately, and Naruto had never been happier to see him. Sasuke seemed equally relieved since his eyes widened once he caught sight of Naruto. He took several steps forward, and Naruto realized he was doing so, as well. They met somewhere in the middle, and Naruto reached forward to link his pointer finger and middle finger with Sasuke's and they curled them together. There was still something constantly unsettling about this room, and Naruto hadn't realized he needed that physical contact to ground himself until he felt Hashirama's hand on his shoulder. Sasuke replaced that weight, feeling much more solid, more real.

After linking with Sasuke, Naruto took a moment to observe the other two boys. They appeared to be as equally young as Hashirama and Asura. However, they also looked much more similar in appearance to each other, and to Sasuke. One of them was rather short, with spiky black hair, black eyes and an even more sullen expression than Asura.

The other one was even shorter, with long black hair and red eyes. He had similar bandages in his hair to Asura, but lacked the ones around his forehead. Although, his eyebrows were incredibly short and slightly pointed. Naruto remembered hearing something about that before, and believed it to be something important. It was difficult not to stare in amusement, but Naruto managed.

"Little brother," that one said, and came to stand next to Asura. Now that Naruto could see them beside each other, he definitely noticed the similar features between them, aside from the bandages. He would be Indra then, which would leave the spikier haired boy as Madara. The story of Madara as the first Uchiha was briefly touched upon in class, when learning about the Shodaime.

"Stop calling me that," Naruto heard Asura mutter. It would be funny, except Naruto couldn't bring himself to laugh at this moment in time.

"So," Naruto said, turning to look at Sasuke more clearly. "Destiny, huh?"

Sasuke stared at him avidly for several moments. Naruto tried not to shift uncomfortably, but couldn't quite quell the temptation. It felt like Sasuke was judging him, trying to determine his worth. Naruto wasn't sure he liked that very much.

"I don't want another brother," Sasuke said suddenly. Naruto froze, and then pushed aside the twisting convulsion he felt at that statement. Whatever, it didn't even matter. Just because they had this stupid reincarnation bullshit didn't mean they were a genuine family. Naruto hadn't been expecting much in the first place. Besides, why would someone as awesome as Naruto want some sort of claim to Sasuke, of all people.

"My brother..." Sasuke continued, and Naruto didn't really want to hear it, he wanted to scream and punch Sasuke in the face and tell him he didn't care about him, or his real brother. "Is a traitor and a murderer. I don't want another brother," Sasuke repeated, this time somewhat despairingly.

Naruto paused, and took the time to truly examine Sasuke's words. A traitor and a murderer. Naruto felt his eyes widen when he understood the implications. The Uchiha Clan had been slaughtered, and Sasuke was calling his brother a traitor and a murderer. He twisted his grip so he could fully hold Sasuke's hand tightly in his grasp. Sasuke squeezed back harshly, causing pain, but Naruto ignored the numbness of his fingers to press back just as hard.

"I didn't really want a brother, either," Naruto said easily. It wasn't quite true, but after that confession the glamour of having an older brother didn't sound as joyful as it previously had.

"What are we, then?" Sasuke asked. Naruto hesitated, not fully sure how to explain his and Sasuke's relationship just then. From what Asura said, it sounded like they were destined to meet, to be something. Anything, maybe.

"Madara and I were best friends even though we weren't blood related," Hashirama said, looking at them. The four of them had gathered a little distance away, and were gazing at him and Sasuke with speculative looks.

Naruto had never had a friend before, let alone a best friend. Sasuke was twisting nervously, playing slightly with Naruto's fingers. If Naruto had to guess, he would say Sasuke never had a best friend before, either. Still, those words seemed to belong to Hashirama and Madara. Only, with a lack of anything better to call whatever he and Sasuke were, Naruto nodded in acceptance.

Best friends. It would work.

"Another question," Sasuke said, looking across at the other four. "Why now?"

It seemed like such a simple question, but Naruto hadn't realized how important it really was until Sasuke asked. After eight years, they decided to finalize this connection between him and Sasuke. Why not earlier? It seemed unfair that Naruto had to go through eight years of loneliness when he had a best friend waiting for him this entire time.

Not to mention that he apparently had two other souls living in his head, while Naruto was completely unaware. As they infested him with their chakra because of the reincarnation. It seemed an unusual thing to stay silent about for such a long period of time.

Asura frowned, and it was rather unsettling. "I'm not sure. I've been pushing at Naruto's mind for years, but there always seemed to be some sort of block," he said. "Everything seemed to be completely static."

Carefully, Asura looked towards to his brother for clarity, but even Indra seemed unsure.

"I was trying the same with Sasuke, but I also felt like something was blocking me out," Indra said in agreement.

Sasuke did not look reassured, but he nodded in halted acceptance.

"Will you always be contacting us like this?" Sasuke asked suddenly, after a moment of silence. Naruto looked around the bright room with squinted eyes, and certainly hoped not. This strange, airless space made breathing difficult. Seeing, as well, Naruto still felt like he was being blinded.

Madara was the one who shook his head. "It should be easier now to manipulate your chakras to allow us to function outside of this pane of existence," he explained.

Naruto looked relieved, and gave Sasuke a hopeful grin. Sasuke didn't exactly return the look, but he was looking significantly more relaxed than he had looked earlier in the day. At least he wasn't crying anymore. That was one thing to be grateful about.

"This is likely a lot to handle, Naruto-kun, Sasuke-kun. We'll let you rest for now and speak to you tomorrow," Hashirama said, and looked towards the other three for confirmation. They nodded in agreement, and the world seemed to blur around Naruto.

For a moment he could no longer feel Sasuke beside him, or the weight of his hand. It caused him to panic, as the white light overtook him once more. Terrifyingly, Naruto couldn't scream out as the presence of Sasuke disappeared completely from beside of him. The other four seemed to fade into the white light as well; the glow overtaking their frail bodies. After that Naruto was falling, finally unable to navigate the eerie lack of space. He fell downwards, losing his breath and senses.

When Naruto regained control of himself, he was on a hardwood floor and panting. Once he was in touch with reality again, he immediately noticed his arms wrapped around something real and twitching. Sasuke was also stirring awake. His dark eyes opened, and when they caught sight of Naruto, Sasuke jerked away.

They looked at each other for several silent moments, before Sasuke shakily pulled himself to his feet. He held his hand out, but Naruto shook his head and pulled himself to his own feet. Sasuke didn't look terribly indignant, and leaned back against the door. Naruto was going to the do the same thing, until he once again noticed the hole right in front of him and decided not to.

"You bit me," Sasuke abruptly accused, brushing his hands against his neck. When he pulled them away, pale fingers were stained red. Naruto didn't know how long they had been in that dream space for, but Sasuke's tiny wound marks still looked fresh.

"It was an accident," Naruto said, "besides you got my shirt all wet."

Naruto pointed towards his damp shirt, where Sasuke had been crying, as proof. Sasuke flushed and glanced away, refusing to respond. They were silent once more. Naruto was uncertain of what to say now that they were in the real world again. Sasuke was supposed to be his best friend, whatever that was meant to be. Someone like Naruto didn't even know how to define a best friend. Or act like one.

It seemed much simpler in that other plane of existence, where everything was hazy and distant. Almost like nothing mattered. Even if it was kind of frightening. That was something Naruto would never admit to aloud, least of all to Sasuke.

"So, destiny," Naruto repeated the words from earlier, when he had first seen Sasuke in that strange world. "What do you think that means?"

Sasuke shrugged his shoulders. "I don't really know. It means our chakra have been reincarnated through time, but we're still... us. We just have a little more going on," he said.

"I don't feel any different," Naruto said. He looked at Sasuke, examining the other boy. Naruto didn't feel any different emotions towards Sasuke than he had this morning. They didn't feel like brothers, and best friends was still rather shifty.

There was a change, a strange kinship. That wasn't only because of the reincarnation. It was because Sasuke was the first other orphan Naruto had met that was his age. One that had no other family at all, not even aunt, uncles, grandparents, or even a guardian. There was Sasuke's murderous brother, but Naruto didn't think that counted as family. Especially since he wasn't even in the village anymore.

Then there were Sasuke's eyes. They held a familiar gleam, one that Naruto recognized in his own eyes. The pain, the loneliness, and the anger. Beneath that there was also an urge to be accepted, to gain the love everyone else had, striving towards it. Naruto swallowed and glanced away, not wanted to notice such things for too long.

"But, we're something now, aren't we?" Naruto asked, and hoped that didn't sound as pitiful as he thought it did. It was difficult to keep the hope out of his voice, though. Just as it was difficult to say the words best friend aloud.

Sasuke looked at him hesitantly and then nodded.

"We are something," Sasuke agreed. "This mission belongs to us," he continued on. Naruto nodded in agreement. This mission, to continue on the legacy of Asura and Indra, was given to them. They would need to see it completed. If Naruto knew one thing, he knew he would be the reincarnation that completed this mission and gained acknowledgement from the village.

"Right. It belongs to us," Naruto said sternly, and even bobbled his head in acceptance. Sasuke didn't smile exactly, but his lips twitched a little. For now, that was good enough. Naruto would teach Sasuke to laugh later.

"Are you hungry?" Sasuke asked, looking away. "I'm not exactly sure how to cook, but I could manage something?" it came out as a curious question.

Naruto bounded towards Sasuke and pulled him through the hole in the screen that had been created earlier. Sasuke seemed to cough in embarrassment from behind him, but Naruto was simply glad the boy wasn't crying anymore. That had been uncomfortable, and not just because of the tears. A very large part of Naruto ached at seeing Sasuke that way. Sasuke always seemed so strong and sure of himself, it was a little heartbreaking.

"I know how to cook, sort of," Naruto said, using a loud voice once more, "I can help," he said excitedly. Naruto didn't exactly enjoy cooking, but didn't mind the prospect right now.

The Uchiha kitchen was a little different than the one Naruto was used to, but they managed. Sasuke pointed a lot of things out to Naruto, and Naruto managed to explain how to use the simpler tools to Sasuke. Together, they decided to make a one-pot dish because it would be one of the easier meals to cook, and take the least amount of time and ingredients. After scourging through the materials they had, and agreeing on which ones they both liked, Naruto and Sasuke set about making an oyster with miso soup.

It was sweet enough that Naruto knew he would eat it, and with enough vegetables that Sasuke didn't protest. They ate from the pot, which was rather inappropriate. Still, that was what Naruto was used to doing and Sasuke seemed more amused than disgusted. To keep the other boy in high spirits, Naruto also forced particular foods he didn't prefer into Sasuke's parted mouth.

Sasuke batted away the wandering chopsticks with his own, but didn't scowl at Naruto, so Naruto assumed he wasn't overly angry. When they finished eating, they worked in unison to clean the dishes together and put them away. It was friendly, something Naruto suspected a regular family was used to doing. The motions also helped Naruto see Sasuke as a real friend, and not just someone Naruto had been forced upon, like his former caretakers.

When Naruto looked out the window, he noticed it was beginning to get dark. The sun was falling, and the moon beginning to rise, casting a dark hue over the rows of other houses. It was breathtaking, but in an equally awing and frightful way.

"I guess I should go back to my apartment then, huh?" Naruto said to himself, voice surprisingly quiet. Before he had a chance to even shift in movement, Sasuke was grabbing onto his wrist with a firm grip and giving him a rather forceful look.

Naruto stared at him in surprise. "Sasuke?" he asked.

"Don't go," Sasuke said, and he looked around and lowered his voice, "it's been quiet since you got here," he said. Naruto wasn't quite sure what Sasuke meant, but he nodded in agreement. It wasn't like he really wanted to leave to go to his lonely apartment, anyway.

"Where can I sleep?" Naruto asked., twisting Sasuke's grip around so they were linked by pinky fingers.

Sasuke looked relieved, but didn't speak of any gratitude he may have felt. That was good, Naruto felt like it would be uncomfortable to hear it.

"The guest bedroom," Sasuke said firmly.

Naruto allowed Sasuke to guide him up the stairs, and to a far room at the end of the hallway. Sasuke opened the bedroom door to reveal a rather plain looking bedroom. Admittedly, it was far nicer looking and more spacious than Naruto's bedroom. Perhaps even his living room and kitchen if they were measured separately.

"You can sleep here and I'll be in..." Sasuke trailed off suddenly. Naruto gave him a prompting look, and tightened his grip on Sasuke's pinky, bringing their hands closer together. Sasuke's hand felt clammy and sort of gross. Regardless of that, Naruto held on with an incredible amount of strength.

"What is it?" Naruto asked, after a brief moment of stunned silence.

"I don't really want to sleep in my bedroom," Sasuke admitted in a whisper, "but I'll need to get clothes and," Sasuke trailed off again, sounding a bit breathless.

Naruto immediately twisted his palm so he was fully grabbing onto Sasuke's hand. Then Naruto twisted his body completely around, somewhat painfully, so he could rest his other hand on Sasuke's shoulders. Naruto crowded in close to Sasuke so the fabrics of their clothes were touching and stared into his eyes. They were slightly wide and unfocused, but he wasn't crying yet. That was the good sign, at least.

"Hey," Naruto said, shaking him a little. "I'll go get them, alright? Which room? Hey, Sasuke, which room?" he said, slowly bringing Sasuke out of it.

Sasuke seemed to colour a bit more, before nodding to himself. He guided Naruto towards his bedroom, but stepped back a bit, clearly not wanting to get very close. When Naruto entered, he didn't take much time to admire it. He simply went to Sasuke's wardrobe, and pulled out as many clothes as possible, from each drawer, in large piles. Everything was folded, so it was simple to create a neat stack in his arms and exit once more, kicking the door shut behind him.

This time he was unable to take Sasuke's hand again, but the other boy trailed after him as they went back to the guest room. Naruto simply put the clothes on top of the much smaller dresser instead of opening up drawers once more.

He and Sasuke changed quietly into their pyjamas. The bathroom was down the hall, where Sasuke let him borrow his toothbrush. He threw away the other one that was on the counter, saying it was infected. Naruto didn't say anything, even when Sasuke took the initiative to link their pinkies as they walked back to the bedroom.

Neither boy said anything as they climbed into the rather large bed together. Originally, they were at separate ends, facing away from one another. However, after a moment of contemplation, Naruto rolled over so he could look at Sasuke's back. Sasuke seemed to feel the gaze on him, so he also turned. They studied each other for a long moment. Instinctively, they seemed to press closer together until their foreheads were touching, and their hands were holding once more.

Naruto had never been so close to another person in his life, especially for an extended period of time. His breath seemed to even out more quickly, and his eyelids fell shut after simply looking at Sasuke in complete serenity. After that, Naruto found it easier to succumb to sleep than he ever had before, when he was shaking with suppressed energy.

Before he fell completely asleep, Naruto thought he could see the misty forms of their four past counterparts at the edge of the bed. Slightly discoloured, but watching them with clear expressions as they fell asleep, entangled with one another.

Asura watched as the two boys fell asleep, huddled close to one another. They looked peaceful, no longer tense as they had been in the other plane of existence. Asleep, they looked so much younger and smaller. No longer were they the miniature, traumatized adults from earlier. It had been difficult to maintain contact with them, and they still had blocks in each of their individual minds. Not to mention the Kyuubi, who was still sealed inside of Naruto.

"Orphans," Hashirama whispered, "it shouldn't be this way, anymore."

There was a pain to his voice that openly revealed just how old the four of them were. Despite the fact that they were forced to take upon the ages Naruto and Sasuke were.

Madara shrugged. "You shouldn't have expected so much," he chided gently. There was no true heat behind the words. At least, not that Asura could hear.

Asura wondered if it was difficult for them, as it was for he and Indra. Naruto and Sasuke seemed to function decently together, but there was still a lingering awkwardness between the four of them. Even if they tried to desperately hide it in front of their new reincarnations.

"Father must have some plan in mind," Asura said, "for him to change the reincarnation this way."

Indra snorted, it was an unattractively cruel sound. "I don't know," he said, glancing towards Asura. "You used to crawl into my bed as a child, terrified of your night terrors. Look at what happened to us," he said, gesturing towards the room as a whole. Asura bit his tongue, resisting the urge to say something spiteful.

"They'll be different," Hashirama insisted. Asura once more glanced towards the young boys, and could only hope so. The world needed something different.


End file.
